Fence



E s w lmlll vp v M R m i Jan. 10, 1928.

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Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES assen PATENT OFFICE.

EIGHARD C. STEWART, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORTO THE STEWART IRON "WURKS GUMPANY, Q15 COVINGTON', KEN'LUGIFIY, A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY.

FENCE.

Application filed October 3 This invention relates to improvements in the construction of iron fences, and the object of my invention to provide novel means for readily assembling thera-ils and the posts. it further object is to so construct the rails as to permit the pickets to be secured to the rails with greater ease and rigidity than has been heretofore possible.

The invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved fence partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectlon of the same, taken in the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a bottom sectional view of the same, taken in the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken in the plane of the line l l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the same taken in the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

My present invention is an improvement upon the device shown, described and claimed in Letters Patent No. 743,046, for fence rail, dated November 3, 1903, of which I am one of the joint inventors.

My improved fence comprises rails 11, provided with apertures 12 spaced at regular intervals.

lhe respective rails 11 comprise an upper wall 13, from the respective edges of which depending walls 14 extend downwardly.

In the construction of rail fences of this type the pickets are comparatively slender and to give the entire fence an ornamental aspect the rails are also comparatively light. Therefore to maintain this uniformity in the fence, and to rigidly connect the pickets with the rails, I provide the lower face of each of the rails with an acute angled V- shaped rib 15 centrally located. The rib is laterally spaced from the depending walls 14 by grooves 16. The upper wall 13 has lower faces 17 between the rib and the de-- pending walls 1 1:. The base of the rib is of less width than the sum of the faces 17'.

The apertures 12 extend through he top wall 13 of the rail and the rib. forming apertures having substantially high. end walls.

Serial No. 223,670.

aperture in the rib along the sides of the aperture are peened or swagedto the picket, as shownrespectively at 20 and 21, for insuring a rigid connection for the picket in the rail.

Supporting posts are provided. at regular intervals. These posts are of rectangular shape. Connecting plates 26 are secured to the posts. This connection is by means of a set-screw 27 threaded into a lug 28 on the connecting plate and bearing against the post. The post is received through a rcctangular slot 29 in the plate. The plate co1nprises an upper wall 30 and depending side walls 31, forming a U-shaped downwardly opening channel to receive the end of a rail. The plate is provided with a countersunk hole 32 to receive the head of a screw 33.

The rail is provided with a central elon gated slot 34 adjacent to its end, the slot extending through the V-shaped rib. The respective ends of the slot are rounded to form side walls 35 at the respective sides of the respective ends of the slot, the side walls of the rib being cut away between said last-named side walls 35, so that said slot opens laterally into the grooves 16 between said sidewalls 35. The screw 33 projects through the hole 32 and said slot.

A nut 36 is received in the elongated slot, peripheral angles 37 of the nut being located between the side walls 35 in the rib at the respective ends of the slot for preventing the nut from turning, and other peripheral angles 38 of said nut being received through the open sides of the slot in the rib into the grooves 16. The nut is readily held in place in otherwise awkward positions and pre vented from turning by means of this construction when coi'inecting the screw there with.

The connecting plates may be made with the U-shaped channels extending in various directions for forming corners of the fence of desirable angles.

This construction of fencing is readily as sembled and of simple form and provides an exceedingly strong and rigid fence.

My improved fence provides a rigid structure, the rails being still by reason of the tit? peculiar cross-sectional shape of the same, and by the provision of the rib of such form and relation asto add materially to resistance to flexure, enabling fences of equal strength 'to be built with longerrails and less posts than has been heretofore possible.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a fence, the combination of a rail comprising an upper wall and side walls projecting downwardly from the respective edges of said first-named wall, and a central V-shaped rib extending downwardly from the lower side of said upper wall and located between and spaced from said side walls, said upper wall provided with an ap-' ert-ure extending through said central rib, a picket received in said aperture, the sides of said V-shaped rib converging at acute angles with relation to each other'and formin walls in said rib extending to substani315 extent along the length of said picket, and the 21 ex and the walls of said apertures in mid ri peened to said picket for uniting said icket with said rail.

2. n a fence, the combination of a post, a rail, a retaining plate secured to said post, said retaining plate comprising an upper wall and depending side wall's depending from the respective edges of said retaining plate to form a bottom recess in said retainmg plate for the reception of the end of said rail, said rail comprising ascentral downwardly projecting rib having relatively downwardly converging side walls, the end of said rail provided with an elongated central slot extending through said rail and said depending rib and forming inner side walls at the ends of said slot, said upper wall of said retaining plate provided with a hole r istering with said slot, a screw received tirough said hole and said slot, and a nut recelved about said screw, said nut provided with opposite peripheral angles located between said inner side walls at the respective ends of said slot to prevent turning of said nut, and said nut provided with additional peripheral angles extending laterally beyond the side walls of said slot.

3. In a fence, the combination of a post, a rail, a retaining plate secured to said post, said retaining plate comprising an upper wall and depending side walls depending from the respective edges of said retaining plate to form a bottom recess in said retaining plate, the end of said rail received in said bottom recess, said rail comprising an upper wall, depending side walls depending from the respective side edges of said upper wall and a central downwardly projecting rib having relatively downwardly convergin side walls spaced from saithdepending sice walls of said rail to form side spaces between said rib and said depending side walls of said rail, the end of said rail provided with an elongated central slot extending through said upper wall of said rail and said rib and forming inner side walls in said rib at the ends of said slot and side openings in said rib between said inner side walls, said u Jper wall of said retaining plate provided with a hole registering with said slot, a screw received through said hole and said slot, and a nut received about the threaded end of said screw, said nut provided with peripheral angles located between said inner side walls in said rib at the respective ends of said slot to prevent turning of said nut, and said nut provided with additional peripheral angles extending laterally through said side openings in said rib into said side spaces between said rib and said depending side walls of said rail.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

RICHARD C. STEWART. 

